Want a game where you build your own global megacorp from the ground up, unleashing a zombie apocalypse on all who oppose you? Undead Inc. is not that game and more often than not, the living dead take a back seat. But it is a hugely entertaining, if flawed, mash-up of management sim and roguelike that will have you twirling an imaginary moustache with glee.
The premise behind Undead Inc. is that the Umbrella Corporation — sorry, Endswell Medical — have started setting up franchises and you’re one roving franchisee. You roll into a town, set up your enterprise and make as much money for as long as you can. Even if a zombie/robo-gorilla outbreak doesn’t destroy your offices, you’ll eventually have to move on when people wise up. The good news is you can evacuate your most talented staff and, pockets full of cash, unlock perks to aid you in your next run. And so the unethical shenanigans begin again.
Undead Inc. can be a little slow to start when you’re setting up your legitimate practice, building a handful of doctor’s offices and waiting rooms, establishing yourself as a legitimate medical enterprise. The sleek blue and grey aesthetic is absolutely gorgeous, though it and the side-on view makes it slightly harder to pick out rooms than, say, Two Point Hospital.
Thankfully, you can speed up time to the point when your coffers are full enough to start delving into the black market. While you’re doling out cold and flu pills, you’re shipping out cybernetically-enhanced gorillas from a secret room beneath street level. Yes, really. While zombies do figure into Undead Inc., they’re an accidental byproduct; it’s serums, robo-animals and weapons that make you the big bucks. We got a big kick out of using our unethical activities to bolster our street-level products, selling bottle after bottle of Rejuvinex (side-effects may include headaches, drowsiness and rigor mortis).
Undead Inc. doesn’t hold your hand and, instead, leaves it to you to delve into the game’s ins and outs. And it’s absolutely worth exploring, because, while essentially run-based, it’s pleasingly deep. Take your staff, for example, who aren’t all as morally bankrupt as you are and who can alert the police or press.
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We started off thinking it was just rolling a die, but the game actually tracks which staff member has seen what. And, furthermore, it lets you access that list. After a few runs just sending staff everywhere, we started pausing the game, scribbling down our assessment of who’s seen too much. Sure, Stetson Benitez is a talented GP (your staff level up) but we do need biomass for the mecha-bears. That’s not to say you have to go with animal research, however: human research and weapons manufacture are equally open to you. Eat your heart out, Albert Wesker.
Yet, while Undead Inc. had us grinning from ear to ear, we sometimes found our fun curtailed by some baffling design oversights. Take your staff, for example. You can only control one at once, which is a pain when you’re trying to get your security forces to clear out a criminal gang. Sure, you could send in your own Wesker-style director, but his death ends your run and there’s only one auto-save slot.
When things do hit the fan — staff turning into zombies, for example — you’ll want to react quickly. Except there’s no way to quickly jump to an alert so you’re left scanning your whole base for the shambler (or shamblers) in question. Little symbols do pop up, but given how massive your offices can become, it’s a frustrating oversight that you can’t just snap to whatever room the walking dead are infesting.
Undead Inc. is not for everyone. There’s a smattering of humour, including a dig at Elon Musk’s infamous one-word tweets, but it doesn’t have the chill pace of Two Point Hospital and its ilk. Unlockable sandbox mode aside, you’ll always be edging closer to a police raid. And if you were expecting wall-to-wall zombies, shipping the undead out in Return of the Living Dead-style barrels, you won’t find that here.
If you’ve ever looked at Resident Evil’s Umbrella Corporation and thought “I could do that”, Undead Inc. is the game for you. You may not get to go global, and it’s not without its flaws, but building your own bioweapon franchise and fleeing when there are too many bodies to bury is one hell of a blast.
This review of Undead Inc. has been facilitated by a code provided by the publisher. It’s available on PC.
Undead Inc. review — GameSpew's score
Undead Inc. 7 10 0 1Part management sim, part roguelike, Undead Inc. has a few rough edges but it’s still a treat for wannabe Umbrella Corp CEOs. Just remember to leave your ethics at the door.Part management sim, part roguelike, Undead Inc. has a few rough edges but it’s still a treat for wannabe Umbrella Corp CEOs. Just remember to leave your ethics at the door. Total Score
We like…
- A fun management game with roguelike elements
- Plenty of ways to become evil
We don't like…
- Some frustrating design choices
